STUDIO AIR DIGITAL ALCHEMY 2017, SEMESTER 1 TUTOR: David Wegman Jingyi Zhang
A
Conceptualisation
A.0. About Me A.1. Design Futuring
1.1 Case study 1
1.2 Case study 2
A.2. Design Computation
2.1 Case study 1
2.2 Case study 2
A.3. Composition/ Generation
3.1 Case study 1
3.2 Case study 2
A.4. Conclusion A.5. Learning outcomes A.6. AppendixAlgorithmic Sketches
A.0 About Me
My name is Jingyi Zhang. I’m from Shaanxi, China.
Currently I’m studying in Melbourne university and majoring in architecture. This is my third year first semester. I have a broad interest, which stretches from botany and chemistry to drawing and pop music. I didn’t have a strong will to study architecture when I was in high school. It is the love of drawing and model making drew me into this field. In the past two years of study, I’ve constantly asked myself the reason why I decide to choose this major even though it is more challenging for me compared with either construction or botany. I convinced myself with a few reasons: Firstly, I really can feel and enjoy the joy of design and creation. The satisfaction is so powerful and overwhelming. Secondly, I believe in the power of architecture in shaping and representing culture and its capacity to carry national identity. As an individual, I love my hometown and am very proud of its unique and beautiful culture. This feeling reaches its peak when I’m studying here in Melbourne. When I introduce my hometown to others, its traditional architecture is the first thing that jumps into my mind. I wish somewhere in the future, I can be in a group whose creations become representative to a city and become something the locals are very proud of.
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I had a background of using rhino, autocad and Photoshop. I’ve done a basic course of grasshooper in Lynda website in the winter holiday and had a little taste of parametric design. It is just so much fun to play with it. Instead of designing the outcome, the process is being designed. It generates so many possibilities, which really broaded people’s mindset. I do believe in its power of creating something brand new and mind blowing. As I mentioned before, I’m interested in botany as well. It helps me to appreciate the beauty of nature and understand ecology. I do hope in this semester, I can use my botanic background to create something that benefits nature.
DDF//STUDIO EARTH SECTION//STUDIO EARTH MODEL
CONCEPTUALISATION 5
A.1 Design Futuring
It is evident that we are in a process of defuturing. Human beings are consuming natural resources in an exceptional speed since the industrial revolution. It leads to an increasing shortage of resources. When it comes to the distribution of that limited resources, conflicts come to the surface inevitably1. Apart from that, the fragmented society and profitoriented design also lead to the disappointment of the current and worry for the future.2
argued, “in design, darkness creates a frisson that excites and challenges. It is more about the positive use of negativity, not negativity for its own sake but to draw attention to a scary possibility in the form of a cautionary tale.”4. It is odd that darkness always exists but always be ignored in the design industry. Without darkness, the whiteness just cannot stand out. They are two sides of one coin. The parallel world of the white-the dark is still such a new world full of potentials. I’m sure there will be something gold there worth exploring.
Against this backdrop, it is a good time to examine ourselves and start to challenge what is taken for granted now. It is the time for new ideas and alternative visions. We are not aiming for providing some good solutions straight away. What we wish to do is to light up people’s enthusiasm in dreaming and provide catalyst for changes. One possible way to explore alternative visions is to positively use the negativity 3. As Dunne and Raby
1. Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg),pp.6-13 2-4 Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp. 1-9, 33-45
In design, darkness creates a frisson that excites and challenges. It is more about the positive use of negativity, not negativity for its own sake but to draw attention to a scary possibility in the form of a cautionary tale. ----Anthony Dunne & Fiona Raby
1.1 Case Study 1
Hypnosis room, New Territories, Paris, 2005
This project is designed to create a space for people to feel themselves, talk to themselves and explore their inner consciousness.
is physically tangible and of proper functions: “an indoor chamber, an immersion zone, where an hypnosis session has been registered” 2.
It pursues a walking sleep metal stage, when people are feeling “indefinite, uncertain and problematic”1. Along with these unstable and unpleasant emotion, a “fake“ freedom is developed. It helps people to escape from the real world into another dimension, where they can develop their own understanding of modern society and their own desires for future.
I argues this project is particularly important for design futuring. Because it gives room for self determination. It embraces the unpleasant emotions and opens up new way of viewing the world. It is good for the metal heath of citizens and also demonstrates new approach for designers: instead of always aiming for the happiness, examining the grey or even dark side of humanity might also generate thought provoking outcomes.
Despite its fictional geometry, the hypno-chamber
1-2 New Territeries, Hypnoses room, retracted from http://www.new-territories.com/hypnosisroom.htm
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CONCEPTUALISATION
FIG.1.ENTRANCE GATE INTO THE HYPNOSIS ROOM
FIG.2. HYPNOSIS ROOM SIDE VIEW
FIG.4. INTERIOR OF HYPNOSIS ROOM (left) FIG.3. INTERIOR OF HYPNOSIS ROOM DEMONSTRATE HOW PEOPLE MIGHT USE THIS SPACE
CONCEPTUALISATION 9
1.2 Case Study 2
Decibot [self-assembly]
To keep up with the rate of the development in computational design, people have started to do some evolutionary pioneering work to increase our capacity for assembly and construction.
Additionally, it reduces the pollution and wastage which always go hand in hand with construction process. This is very important in reducing our damage to nature and slowing down the resource consumption rate.
Skylar Tibbits found inspiration from the natural assembly process of protein and DNA. The idea he and his group came up with is “directly embedding assembly information into raw materials, then watching as the materials assemble themselves.”1
It is also able to solve some urgent problems. For example, it might be used as the programmable joints between beams and columns,which can be activated by the shaking of ground3, to cope with earthquake. Or it can be used as “quickly deployable disaster-relief structures dropped from helicopters that utilise wind resistance and gravity to unfold“4.
The decibots are one of their creation based on this principles. They are large scale reconfigurable chains, which are able to fold into 1D, 2D or 3D objects2.
Where this technology eventually go is really hard to predict. Even though it seems still very fantasy-like now, I do think it has a future of its own and might leads to another revolution in human history.
This technology is evolutionary in a sense that it is able to liberate people from the hard, time-consuming and even dangerous construction process. In country,like Australia, where labour cost is very high, these robots might provides an alternative for construction industry.
1-4 Tibbits, S. (2012), Design to Self-Assembly, Architectural Design, 82:69-73. doi: 10.1002/ad.1381
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FIG.5.6.7. DECIBOTS (clockwise)
CONCEPTUALISATION 11
A.2 Design Computation
The benefits of using computers in the architectural design are best represented in its ability to build a digital continuum of form generation, performative simulation and materiality modelling, which spans all the way from early stage of design to fabrication. Before coming into the detailed explanation of the digital continuum, it is necessary to evaluate the current computer-human relationship. We are gradually shifted from computerisation (use computer to virtualise form) to computation (use computer to generate form) now. Digital design is no longer very much defined by its very eye-catching free-form geometry1. Instead, a parametric algorithmic logic becomes its signature. We are aiming to define a process not an outcome now. As quoted from Wood, “designers should become the facilitators of flow, rather than the originators of maintainable things such as discrete products or images” 2. Because we are now looking at a flow. The outcomes are of less concerned. It can be modified thousands of times easily by adjusting the parameters. We now are able to pay attention to the controlling factors. That’s where the consideration of building performance and materiality comes in. It is very obvious that these two factors are very important in transfer the virtual models into the reality. Because these things tend to be variable and complex, for a very long time, digital design assumes the model are sitting in an ideal vacuum in order simplify the situation. This makes the later fabrication and construction very difficult. The
ability to experiment the building performance under real condition in computer, for example wind force, material properties and so on, and then constantly optimise itself, are of great potential to eliminate the possibility of failure in real construction. To some extent, as Oxman3 argues, we are potentially able to create a second nature in computer. As there are always two sides of the coins, we cannot say digital design at this stage can 100% leads to good outcomes. Firstly, I still very much doubt our ability to simulate nature 100% accurately in computer. Because on the one end, we are just one species created not long ago. But on other end, earth has endured thousands of years evolution. No matter how great our civilisation has achieved so far, we are still limited by our situation. I’m not suggesting that what we’ve done so far are worthless. What I want to say is that no matter how far we go, we still need to have great respect to nature. Secondly, digital design only has a few decades’ development. It is far too early to evaluate its impact on human civilisations yet.
1.3. Oxman, R., Oxman, R. ed.(2014), Introduction, Theories of the Digital in Architecture. (London; New York: Routledge), pp.1-10 2. Wood, John (2007). Design for Micro-Utopias: Making the Unthinkable Possible (Aldershot: Gower).
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Secondly, digital design opens up the opportunity of digital fabrication. It has the great potential to rebuild the intimate connection between design and construction. It helps to translate the design intent more accurately into the products. For example, accuracy of a laser cut product is generally speaking higher than a hand cut product. In addition, digital fabrication, such as 3d printing helps us make models which are difficult to hand craft. Down to everyday life, it also reduces a lot of intense hard work. Apart from these, it also transform the design-production process from a linear sequence to a more interconnected network. Construction is no longer
just the final stage. It is able to affect design decisions as well. However, these things are operated on a high cost compared with traditional construction methods. And they are more or less limited to small scale model making instead of large scale building construction. In conclusion, using computers in architectural design benefits us a lot in terms of its integration of whole design and fabrication chain and its ability to deal with complex real world situations such as contextual forces and material attributes. But it is also important to keep in mind that it might bring something unexpected.
In synthesizing material culture and technologies within the expanding relationship between the computer and architecture, this phenomenon defines a digital continuum from design to production, from form generation to fabrication design. ----Rivka Oxman & Robert Oxman CONCEPTUALISATION 13
2.1 Case Study 1
ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010
ICD/ITKE research pavilion 2010 demonstrates new possibilities for computational design. It embedded material behaviour under contextual forces into computational design process. This is really beneficial in a few senses. First of all, it opens up new pathway to generate forms. Instead of having a certain form in mind and try to use computer to achieve it. The form is generated through the optimisation of its structural performance. Secondly, it makes the use of very unconventional material possible. In this project, very thin timer strips are used. This would be very much impossible without the aid of computer to simulating its structural performance. This has profound impacts because of its efficiency in using material, especially in a situation when resources are very limited.
pressure and constrains in the material and also the uncertain external forces the pavilion might suffer during computational design. Before it is erected on site, its performance has been tested many times through computers. Hence, it is less likely to have the situation when the pavilion falls to express the form we expected. As the following test after its erection shows, it has the exact measurement with the computer model1. Lastly, it significantly simplified and speeded the fabrication and construction process. Even though there are 500 unique pieces, the data can be directly sent to a six-axis robot. And it is able to fabricate all that accurately. In addition, it is easy to construct as well. Because no scaffolding or other equipment is required. Once you connect them into the right joints, it will come to shape automatically 2.
Thirdly, it helps to transform the virtual to reality more safely and accurately. Because it considers the
1-6 Fleischmann,M., Knippers,J., Lienhard,J., Menges A. & Schleicher S. (2012), ‘Material Behaviour: Embedding physical properties in computational design processes’, Architectural Design, 82: 44-51. doi: 10.1002/ad.1378
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FIG.8. INTERIOR OF ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2010 (top left) FIG.9.EXTERIOR OF ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2010 (top right)
FIG.1O. RESIDUAL STRESS IN A FINATE ELEMENTBASED SIMULATION (bottom left) FIG.11. PHYSICAL TESTS IN SEARCHING THE OPTIMISTIC FORM (bottom right)
CONCEPTUALISATION 15
2.2.1 Case Study 2
Computer gives flexibly in design and construction thro
Fulton Center, New York, 2014 Arup This project demonstrates the benefits of computer aided design, through the thoughtful use of Building Information Modelling tools. Its successful delivery owns in part of BIM’s ability of integrating and analysing large amount of building information data. The changes in design due to client requirement or site situation were uploaded to the model and BIM can automatically calculate its impact on other contract packages, such as fire alarm systems or building structural systems1. This integrated information model helps to inform people about the problems might generated by changes in certain elements before they become very serious and cannot be fixed. Highresolution laser scanning was used to document the building interior at several important construction milestones2. It then generated points clouds, which was eventually converted into BIM to track the construction progress and access the final product quality 3. This helps to accurately document the construction details and of great importance in monitoring the construction process in case of anything going wrong.
FIG.12. THE INTERIOR RENDERING OF A SCAN TAKEN BETWEEN THE INSTALLATION OF THE NET AND SUBSEQUENT INSTILLATION OF 952 OPTICAL ALUMINIUM PANELS
In summary, BIM gives the designers and project managers a lot of flexibility during the construction phase. When any changes have to be made during construction, they can always go back to the model and examine the possible consequences.
1-3. Goldup,K., Kostura, Z., Tavolaro,T. &Wolfe, S., (2017), Advancing Engineering with Building Information Modelling, Architectural Design, 87:3 , doi: 10.1002/ad.2182
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FIG.13. MULTIDISCIPLINARY BIM MODEL OF FULTON CENTER (STRUCTURAL, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL & PLUMBING)
ough integeration.
Space-frame roof, Airport Terminal, North America, 2014 Arup Given that BIM has brought the industry great advantages, its benefits are hard to realised sometimes, because its generally not integrated with design and analysis software. How to create a flexible workflow which allows data accurately transfer from one software to another is of great importance now to deal with projects involving multiple disciplines and contractors. This project developed by Arup recently gives us an possible answer. An open-source relational database management system MySQL was established1. It takes input from a wide range of programs such as geometry modelling software, rhino and grasshopper, and structural analysis tools2. And just by twisting the SQL commands a bit, people can extract the desired information into the desired software3. It performs as a data collector and translator. With its aid, people from different disciplines can still work with the software that best suited to them. This helps to improve their efficiency and productivity.
1-3. Goldup,K., Kostura, Z., Tavolaro,T. &Wolfe, S., (2017), Advancing Engineering with Building Information Modelling, Architectural Design, 87:3 , doi: 10.1002/ad.2182
FIG.14. ARUP’S WORKFLOW DIAGRAM
CONCEPTUALISATION 17
A.3 Composition/Generation With the development of parametric modelling tools, which defines form through algorithm, a sequence “finite rules or operations that are unambiguous and simple to follow”1, a new design methodology is emerging. Instead of composing form intuitively, this new methodology gives people an opportunity to generate forms through computer. Rules are set up in accordance to various design factors, such as design brief, site condition or materiality. And then by adjusting parameters, we can get lots of outcomes. Architects then become a selector, who use their knowledge to select the best suited solutions.
Generative approach is also good in a sense that it is able to take input in relation to performance issues and constructability issues for simulation and then provide feedbacks to optimise design. Even though we also consider the building and site relationship a lot in daily practice. We generally work in a generic and oversimplified way. And it is hard to deal with many different factors at the same time. With the help of some simulation software, we can have more accurate data about building performance in certain condition. This helps to design a building, which responses to its context better.
This generative process has quite a lot of benefits. Firstly, it simplified the design in a sense that it is instrumental. I’m not neglecting the design effort in defining the algorithm. What I’m trying to say is it gives logic into the early form finding process, which provides a principle that one can always refer to. Personally I believe this makes the early formative process less intangible .
In an age of interconnection and communication, complexity is what we have to deal with. Parametric design is just suitable for that need. And Schumacher even goes further and argues that “Parametricism is architecture’s answer to contemporary, computationally empowered civilisation” 2.
Secondly, it booms designers’ creativity. It is always too easy to get stuck when we are working within our own mindset. That is partially the reason why we are encouraged to communicate our ideas to others and seek feedbacks. Generative process provides us an alternative pathway to think out of the box. It is very easy to generate thousands of forms using parametric design. More forms mean more possibilities. Then architects become selectors and secondary manufacturers, who process the raw forms into architecturally articulated configuration. One example is the lecturer’s project in which he looked into the branching system of a tree. By adjusting the parameters, he ended up creating many skeleton-like forms, which were then developed into pavilion-like structures along highways for relaxation and recreation purposes. At the time when the project just started, no one knows where it would lead him. The form and the function emerged as the process proceeded. Its ability to push our own mindset to extreme is good in terms of innovation.
However, it is always too dangerous to overstate the importance and benefits of one thing. There is nothing that is 100% good. The danger might occur through the overuse of technologies. It is possible that once people get too excited about the scripts and algorithm they developed, they become so into the technology and unconsciously proceed to treat building as a way of showing off their advanced skills, but forget the design objectives and meanings, which is overall the heart of architecture3. Secondly, it might lead to less concern about functionality. Naturally people will be attracted to things that are novel. This generative method empowers people to achieve that, which is great. But if the architecture gets to a stage when there is nothing more than just fancy shape, will that be a humiliation of humanity?
1. Definition of ‘Algorithm’ in Wilson, Robert A. and Frank C. Keil, eds (1999). The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences (London: MIT Press), pp. 11, 12 2. Schumacher, P. (2016), Parametricism 2.0: Gearing Up to Impact the Global Built Environment, Architectural Design, 86:8-17 ,2, doi: 10.1002/ad.2018 3. Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15 18
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One interesting counterpoint in against this overuse of parametric design is brought up by Mark Foster Gage1. He argues that parametric design is just a tool not a style. The parametric logic is nothing new in built industry. And it is not always associated with digital technologies. It exists in Temple of Hera at Olympia (590BC), where the building measurement is based on the width of columns2. It is also typical in traditional Chinese timber structure buildings. The proportion of each part of the building is measured according to “Cai”, which is the thickness of the standard timber used in that building3. Changing the standard timber thickness will result in scaling of the whole building 4. So parametric design is just a thinking method which highlights relationship. It is facilitated in the current age by computer techniques. There are some stylistic preference for this
topologically generated geometry —smooth, continuous and complex5. But this is not the style for parametric design. This category is a signature for zaha hadid for example. But it is the architect’s style/ preference but not the tool’s. To summarise, Schumacher’s parametricism cannot be treated as an emerging style as he claimed. The revolution in design industry also pushes construction industry as well. As Block argues, “parametricism needs real structural and engineering innovations to differentiate itself from purely image-driven architecture and to realise the full potential of complex curved geometry.”6
1-2, 5..Gage,M.,F.,(2016), A Hospice for Parametricism, Architectural Design, 86:128-133, 2, DOI: 10.1002/ad.2034 3-4. Liang, Sicheng (2011), A history of Chinese Architecture, (SDX Joint Publishing Company: Beijing), pp.2-6 6. Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15
There is the danger that if the celebration of skills is allowed to obscure and divert from the real design objectives, then scripting degenerates to become an isolated craft rather than developing into an integrated art form. ----Hugh Whitehead CONCEPTUALISATION 19
3.1 Case Study 1 Mathematics: the Winton Gallery, Science Museum , london, 2014-2016, by Zaha Hadid Architects
This project is a very good example in demonstrating the generative form finding process using parametric modelling techniques. It is rare in the sense that the form generating algorithm is based on the mathematical equations defining spatial turbulence field around a flying aircraft1. It is not so common to have a built project, with clear functions, whose defining algorithm is non-performance and materiality oriented. This is not to say that it pays no attention to performance and fabrication. Instead, what I want to emphasis is that it is a beautiful parametric design with careful considerations to the design brief: to celebrate the huge impact mathematics had on human civilisation2. The story, that this piece of design wish to share with the audience, gives this fancy form spirit. Coming back to the form generation process, algorithm is designed to create a vector field in response to the airflow mathematical rules. Not only the curvy central pod is derived from this vector field, so is the exhibition layout and the floor decoration pattern3. And parametric technique gives design so much flexibility. By adjusting the parameters, thousands of form can be generated. But all the forms will still be under the control of the vector field. This process really highlights the interweaving relationship between the components. It almost creates an analogy between the real world and the small gallery world it created: both complex and both interconnected.
The benefits of this holistic approach can be very specific to this project. From a design perspective, it helps to convince the public about the design brief. From a performance aspect, this might be able to facilitate smooth circulation because of its accurate study of airflow science. This can be seen from the simulation analysis in peoples’ path and view. To a smaller scale, the algorithm helps to generate numerous interesting forms for the central pod. It pushes designer’s imagination to the extreme. Instead of spending lots of time trying to explore anything new within your own mindset and constantly feel stuck, this method booms designers’ creativity. What we need to do instead is evaluation and selection, which will be more efficient in the sense that more time is used to analyse rather than coming up with proposals. In summary, this is a good example where parametric modelling are used as design tools to achieve meaningful outcomes.
1-3.Zaha Hadid Architects, Mathematics: gallery science musuem, retracted from http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/mathematics-gallery-science-museum/
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FIG.15. SPATIAL TURBULENCE FIELD DIAGRAM (above) FIG.16.17.18. THE MORPH OF THE PARAMETRICALLY DEFINED FORM (bottom)
FIG.19. THE LAYOUT
FIG.20, VIEW TOWARDS THE CENTRAL POD AND THE AIRCRAFT
CONCEPTUALISATION 21
3.2 Case Study 2
Molteni Arc Table, Milan 2010 by Foster+Partners
This is a good example of generative form finding process. Instead of directly manipulating the form, the design team generated the form by manipulating a series of forces and constraints acting on the input tensile structure1. The form is regarded as ‘found’ after the simulation ends, in another word, the tensile structure reaches its equilibrium state2. This allows designers to come up with a design, which is more structurally sound and ergonomically correct. Not only the performance aspect was considered and well solved, so was the fabrication aspect. It is challenging to introduce material complexity, such as its thickness and edge profiling into the simulation. However, the design team managed to incorporate the two dimensional structurally simulated configuration into three dimensional form eventually. The digital model was sent to the fabricator directly and used in milling a 1:1 wooden prototype for final steel mould3.
carefully digitally composed geometry, designers integrate performance requirement and construction techniques to the centre of the design process 4. This integration really helps to improve product quality. I can see the opportunity to transform this furniture design into a larger scale building design. However, I suspect that there is one potential factor that might compromise the design outcome. It is that the simulation doesn’t consider the properties of concrete much. After all, the table will be constructed by fibrefilled concrete. Concrete tends to crack trough out the time, which might potentially cause a safety issues. Without a solid knowledge on concrete, I’m not able to judge the design. But by bringing up this thought, I wish to communicate that the computer simulation is not always 100% realistic and reliable. It is always good to be open-mind and be prepared to meet unexpected problems in the realisation of a digital design.
It is worth mentioning that this generative process took structural performance and fabrication constraints as two major controlling factors in form finding. Instead of “post-rationalising” a
1-4.Hon, J. (2013), Mathematical Ensemble Molteni Arc Table, Architectural Design, 83:32-33 (2), doi: 10.1002/ad.1549
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FIG.21. THE MOLTENI ARC TABLE FIG.22. INITIAL INPUT FOR FORM FINDING THE TABLE’S GEOMETRY USING SMG’ CUSTOM SOFTWARE
The geometry is armed with its downstream logic, and finds an efficient path to manage geometrical relationships upstream. By doing so, the validation of the design occurs at simulation rathe than by post-rationalising. ----Jethro Hon CONCEPTUALISATION 23
A.4 Conclusion
Part A directs me to look at revolutionary design solutions which is of great potential to direct design futuring. I’ve learnt about critical design, which aims to challenge what is taken as granted and dark design, which uses negativity of humanity to discover the positive application. I believe this will be my design approach in the following weeks as it directs me to look at the dusty corner which has been ignored generally. And I believe it might be able to evoke some brand new ideas. As the yin yang theory suggests, there is no black if there is no white. And there is no white if there is no black. Everything is both white and dark. It depends on how we view it and it is our choice to drown into the darkness or discover the whiteness. In terms of techniques, I’ve learnt the benefits of computer aided design especially the parametric modelling method. They adopt a holistic approach which integrates form finding together with performance analysis as well as materiality analysis.
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This might be very helpful in make my future design more practicable and helps my design intent being better translated into real prototypes. Furthermore in the third part, I’m exposed to a new way of design thinking: generate form instead of compose form. This also opens up many opportunities and just makes the design process instrumental and tangible at the beginning. In conclusion, I will use parametric modelling techniques to define a process which is associated with my personal darkness. And through the process, I will evaluate and select the ones that of potential to further develop in response to the brief.
A.5 Learning Outcome
I’ve learnt that computation design is able to help me analyse building performance in response to its site. I find this can be very helpful for some of my previous design studios. Because light and shadow is an important concept for my design. Before learning grasshopper, I generally approach this design concept based on a very basic and simplified understanding of sun path diagram. I found this is not enough to fully translate my design ideas into real composition. And it happened often in the past that only until I decided to finish up the design process and started to properly render my models, did I finally realise that the current composition doesn’t response to the daylight as I expect it to be. For example, the openings are way too small to introduce enough sunlight into one end of the corridor. And quite often because of this issue, I ended up failing to achieve my design intent. Because parametric modelling tools are able to simulate the sun path and at the same time also give designers freedom in updating the models without losing the connection to the simulation process. I am able to have a real time update
on the building’s performance once I mortify any shapes. This potentially can increase my working efficiency and accuracy in translating from ideas into reality. Another thing that I might want to try on my previous works is the generative form finding method. Because I thought it might give me a bit more unexpected, unconventional but interesting forms. One of my previous work is inspired by the tree braching system. But becasue of the technology limitation, I interpretated the branching system in a very literal and superficial way. Now after this three week’s study, I might look into the tree branching science and develop an algorithm which can simulate the tree branch. And then apply this process on other basic forms in order to seek something new and useful.
CONCEPTUALISATION 25
A.6 Appendix-Algorithmic Sketches WEEK 01 - LETTING GO OF THE COMPOSITION AIM: To feel and embody the polarity of composition/process. STEP 1: COMPOSE: Using the loft component, design a vase. A series of curves are defined through grasshopper. These curves are used either as the horizontal or vertical cross section lines and lofted to form a vase. STEP 2: REFLECT: Spend 5 minutes reflecting on a past grievence I was struggling to bring more variations into my definition of the curves. Only adjusting the number sliders doesn’t gives me very unexpected outcomes. I guess this is quite common for beginners. STEP 3: PROCESS: Intuitively manipulate the vase (without care or judgement) Just feel your emotions and allow the manipulation of the inputs to occur. At any stage if intuition says ‘bake’ then you may bake. STEP 4: HARVEST: What have you got? Was anything interesting produced? Is any of the form of use?
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CONCEPTUALISATION 27
WEEK 02 - FEAR AND PROCESS TASK 1: CREAT A DIFINITION THAT CONVERTS DIFFERENT GEOMETRY. 1.1 POINTS-CURVES-SURFACE- BERP-CURVES-POINTS-COLOURED DISPLAY 1.2 POINTS-CURVES-SURFACE-CURVES-POINTS COLOURED DISPLAY
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CONCEPTUALISATION 29
WEEK 02 - FEAR AND PROCESS
PROCESS 1: THE LIFECYCLE OF MAGGOTS
TASK 2: STEP1: DESICOVER MY FEAR: 1.1 DEATH/DECOMPOSITION/DECAY 1.2 AGE 1.3 BLIND 1.4 PUT ON WEIGHT 1.5 ABOUT EMOTIONS: FEEL EMBARRASSED MAKE OTHERS DISAPPOINTED ABOUT ME MAKE OTHERS UNHAPPY JUDGEMENT OTHERS DON’T LIKE ME 1.6 SEE MY PARENTS CRY 1.7 CRY IN THE PUBLIC 1.8 LOSE FRIENDS 1.9 LONELY 1.10 ISOLATION 1.11 CANNOT FIND A JOB 1.12 FAILTURE 1.13 BEING COWARD: SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM ME 1.14 GHOST 1.15 DARK
MATE
IN RESPONCE TO THE TUTORIAL SYNOPOSIS: PEOPLE’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS DEATH ARE CONTRADICTORY. GENERALLY SPEAKING, IN THE COMMON CULTURE, DEATH IS ASSOCIATED WITH DARK. PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF IT. WE HATE TO SEE THE ONE WE LOVED DIE. IT CAN BE THE SADDEST EXPERIENCE ONE CAN POSSIBLY HAVE. BUT THERE IS WHITE IN IT. IN FACT, WE CAN INTERPRATE IT IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY. IT IS WHITE. IT IS AN INREPLACEABLE STEP IN THE NATURAL SUBSTANCE CYCLE. WE RETURN NUTRIENTS BACK TO NATURE. AND THE NUTRIENTS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO NEW LIFE.
STEP2: FIND ASSOCIATED PROCESSES: 2.1 DEATH-- DECAY/BIOTIC DECOMPOSITION: 2.1.1. THE LIFECYCLE OF MAGGOTS 2.1.2. ANIMAL DECOMPOSITION
SO BY USING THIS TOPIC AS DESIGN INSPIRATION, I MAY BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE TO READ DEATH IN A PLEASANT WAY.
STEP3: DEFINE THE PROCESSES STEP BY STEP AND TRY TO USE GRASSHOPPER TO GENERATE FORMS BASED ON THESE PROCESSES
DEATH
ALGOR MORTIS
BODY RUPTURE
MORE OXYGEN
PROCESS 2: ANIMAL DECOMPOSITION
30
CONCEPTUALISATION
LAY EGGES
FLY
AEROBIC MICROBES INCREASE IN NUMBER
BLOAT
RIGOR MORTIS
LIVOR MORTIS
PUTREFACTION
AUTOLYSIS
ACTIVE DECAY
MAGGOTS COME IN
ADVANCED DECAY
DRY/REMAIN
S
HATCH
GROW
STOP MOVING
PUPATE
METAMORPHOSIS
EMERGE
FLY
MATE
DECOMPOSE /FEED PROCESS 2: ANIMAL DECOMOSITION 1. DEATH: HEART STOP BEATING 2. FRESH: 2.1 ALGOR MORTIS: TEMPERATURE DROP/ RISE TO MATCH AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT
[LINEAR PROCESS][ FOR HUMAN: (36.9DEGREES – RECTAL T)/1.2
2.2 RIGOR MORTIS: MUSCULAR TISSUES BECOME RIGID AND IN CAPABLE OF RELAXING
[UNABLE TO BREAK THE ACTIN-MYOSIN CROSS BRIDGES]
[RESPIRATION CEASE—OXYGEN DEPLETED—ATP IS PRODUCED THROUGH ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS—ATP IS USED TO BREAK THE ACTIN-MYOSIN CROSS BRIDGES IN ORDER TO MAKE THE MUSCLES RELAX--- GLYCOGEN DEPLETED---ATP DEPLETED--- UNABLE TO BREAK THE BRIDGES--- BODY BECOME RIGID] [CACLIUMN IS RELEASED INTO CYTOSOL AFTER DEATH WHICH ACTIVATE THE FORMATION OF THE BRIDGE] 2.3 LIVOR MORTIS: BLOOD IS NO LONGER PUMPED INTO BODY (HAPPENS RIGHT AFTER DEATH, BUT THE STAGE OF LIVER MORTIS ARRIVES LATER), GRAVITY CAUSES IT DRAIN TO THE DEPENDENT PORTIONS OF THE BODY----CREATE AN OVERALL BLUISH-PURPLE DISCOLOURATION. 2.4 AUTOLYSIS: NO OXYGEN SUPPLY AND REMOVAL OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE TISSUES---- PH DECREASES AND MANY OTHER CHEMICAL CHANGES--CELLS TO LOSE THEIR STRUCTURE INTEGRITY--- RELEASE THE CELLULAR ENZYMES CAPABLE OF INITIATING THE BREAKDOWN OF SURROUNDING CELLS AND TISSUES.
2.5 PUTREFACTION: THE MICROBIAL PROLIFERATION WHIN BODY
THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN IS QUICKLY DEPLETED BY CELLULAR METABOLISM AND AEROBIC MICROBES NATURALLY PRESENTED IN RESPIRATORY AND GASTROINTESTINAL TRACTS---CREATE INDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PROLIFERATION OF THE ANAEROBIC ORGANISMS, THEY MULTIPLY AND CONSUME THE CARBOHYDRATES, LIPIDS AND PROTEINS TO PRODUCE A VARIETY OF SUBSTANCES INCLUDING MANY ACIDS AND HYDROGEN SULPHIDE AND AMMONIA
3. BLOAT:
THE ANAEROBIC METABOLISM TAKES PLACE --THE ACCUMULATION OF GASES—DISTENTION OF THE ABDOMEN---GIVE A CADAVER ITS OVERALL BLOATED APPEARANCE--- CAUSE NATURAL LIQUID AND LIQUEFYING TISSUES TO BECOME FROTHY--- PRESSURES INCREASES, GASES ARE FORCED TO ESCAPE FROM NATURAL ORIFICES/ ALSO MAKES THE BODY RUPTURE MAGGOTS MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE BODY AND START TO FEED AS WELL. ONCE THE SURFACE SKIN RUPTURE MORE, MORE OXYGEN ENTER THE BODY AND MORE THE ANAEROBIC METABOLISM TAKES PLACE…. MORE SURFACE AREA FOR FLY TO LAY EGGES …..THIS IS AN REINFORCING LOOP
4. ACTIVE DECAY: GREATEST MASS LOSS
FEEDING OF MAGGOTS AND THE PURGING OF DECOMPOSITION FLUIDS INTO THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. [THE FLUIDS ACCUMULATE AROUND THE BODY AND CREATE A CADAVER DECOMPOSITION ISLAND CDI]
END OF THIS STAGE IS SIGNIFIED BY THE LEAVE OF THE MAGGOTS TO PUPATE
5. ADVANCED DECAY: DECOMPOSITION IS LARGELY INHIBITED DURING THIS STAGE DUE TO THE LOSE OF READILY AVAILABLE CADAVERIC MATERIAL. LEADS TO THE DEATH OF THE ADJACENT VEGETATION; AN INCREASE IN SOIL CARBON, NITROGEN AND NUTRIENTS IN CDI SURROUNDING ;CHANGE IN PH.
6. DRY/ REMAINS: SKELETON AND DRY SKIN AND CARTILAGE
CONCEPTUALISATION 31
INTERPRETATION THROUGH GRASSHOPPER: PROCESS 2: ANIMAL DECOMPOSITION
DEATH
ALGOR MORTIS
BODY RUPTURE
MORE OXYGEN
BLOAT
RIGOR MORTIS
LIVOR MORTIS
PUTREFACTION
AUTOLYSIS
ACTIVE DECAY
AEROBIC MICROBES INCREASE IN NUMBER
MAGGOTS COME IN
ADVANCED DECAY
DRY/REMAIN
CURRENTLY ONLY THREE STEPS (COLOURED IN DARK GREEN) ARE USED IN GRASSHOPPER THEY ARE INTERPRETATED AS :
1.BRIDGE/LINE
2.FALL ON GRAVITY
3.DISSOLVE
2. 1.
2.
32
CONCEPTUALISATION
3.
CONCEPTUALISATION 33
1.
2.
2.
34
CONCEPTUALISATION
3.
CONCEPTUALISATION 35
A.6 Appendix-Bibliography Definition of ‘Algorithm’ in Wilson, Robert A. and Frank C. Keil, eds (1999). The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences (London: MIT Press), pp. 11, 12 Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp. 1-9, 33-45 Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg),pp.6-13 Fleischmann,M., Knippers,J., Lienhard,J., Menges A. & Schleicher S. (2012), ‘Material Behaviour: Embedding physical properties in computational design processes’, Architectural Design, 82: 44-51. doi: 10.1002/ad.1378 Gage,M.,F.,(2016), A Hospice for Parametricism, Architectural Design, 86:128-133, 2, DOI: 10.1002/ad.2034 Goldup,K., Kostura, Z., Tavolaro,T. &Wolfe, S. (2017), Advancing Engineering with Building Information Modelling, Architectural Design, 87:3 , doi: 10.1002/ad.2182 Hon, J. (2013), Mathematical Ensemble Molteni Arc Table, Architectural Design, 83:32-33 (2), doi: 10.1002/ad.1549 Liang, Sicheng (2011), A history of Chinese Architecture, (SDX Joint Publishing Company: Beijing), pp.2-6 New Territories, Hypnoses room, retracted from http://www.new-territories.com/hypnosisroom.htm Oxman, R., Oxman, R. ed.(2014), Introduction, Theories of the Digital in Architecture. (London; New York: Routledge), pp.1-10 Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15 Schumacher, P. (2016), Parametricism 2.0: Gearing Up to Impact the Global Built Environment, Architectural Design, 86:8-17 ,2, doi: 10.1002/ad.2018 Tibbits, S. (2012), Design to Self-Assembly, Architectural Design, 82:69-73. doi: 10.1002/ad.1381 Wood, John (2007). Design for Micro-Utopias: Making the Unthinkable Possible (Aldershot: Gower). Zaha Hadid Architects, Mathematics: gallery science musuem, retracted from http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/ mathematics-gallery-science-museum/
A.6 Appendix-Image reference list 1-4. http://www.new-territories.com/hypnosisroom.htm 5-7. http://www.selfassemblylab.net/MacrobotDecibot.php 8-11. http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=4458 12-14. Goldup,K., Kostura, Z., Tavolaro,T. &Wolfe, S. (2017), Advancing Engineering with Building Information Modelling, Architectural Design, 87:3 , doi: 10.1002/ad.2182 15-20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojpgXhLh5_E 21-22. Hon, J. (2013), Mathematical Ensemble Molteni Arc Table, Architectural Design, 83:32-33 (2), doi: 10.1002/ad.1549 36
CONCEPTUALISATION